Goodbyes Are Not Forever

What a wonderful experience this has been and I am sad to see it come to a halt. Our last full day was packed with fun-filled activities and lots of memorable moments. We started our day off by finishing the students’ school pictures and making homemade pizzas for the teachers. In return they made us Pansit and Lumpia for lunch. What a delicious treat. After lunch we loaded up and said our goodbyes to the students. The bittersweet moment consisted of hugs, kisses, smiles and tears. As we rode off, the students ran after the pickup shouting goodbye, waving their hands, and handing off letters to each one of us.

We came back to the house and headed for town to allow the daredevils the opportunity to catch some adrenaline…the zip line. I happened to be one of the lucky ones, (or crazy which ever you prefer to call it) and it was awesome. They strapped you into a body harness and then sent you flying down a long and very high cable over a canyon. After flying high we were treated to Maritta’s phenomenal cooking and then to a cruise on the Loboc River. We had live music, dancers and lights galore to make it a beautiful and absolutely splendid time. And last but not least, we were able to watch the Loboc Youth Ambassador Band perform an outstanding concert. So that leaves our group with tomorrow to do our packing and heading out for the long trip home. It is going to be tough to say goodbye to the people we have met and built relationships with but goodbyes are not forever and a few of us have strong intentions of making another trip back. I thank the Lord for everything He has blessed me with this week. I hope I can take back what I have learned on this trip to my home and share with others how God has worked in my life and why I am making the changes I am.

Kelly Linder